Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae: Wild Animals, from antique wall paintings, plate 1
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 11 5/8 x 16 5/8 in. (29.5 x 42.2 cm) mount: 14 3/16 x 20 3/16 in. (36.1 x 51.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1941
Accession Number
41.72(2.177)
Tags
About this artwork
This engraving reproduces wild animals depicted in ancient Roman wall paintings, published by Antonio Lafreri as plate 1 in a series documenting antique decorative art within the Speculum Romanae Magnificentiae collection. The print preserves images of creatures rendered in Roman frescoes, likely from locations such as Pompeii, Herculaneum, or Roman villas, where animal motifs frequently appeared as decorative elements. Created by an anonymous sixteenth-century artist, the engraving translates t...
About the Artist
Antonio Lafreri|Anonymous|Antonio Lafreri · 1507–1577
Antonio Lafreri, born Antoine du Pérac Lafréry around 1512 in Orgelet in the County of Burgundy (modern-day France), emerged as one of the most influential print publishers of the 16th century after settling in Rome around 1540. His early life and training remain sparsely documented, with no records of specific teachers or art schools; he arrived in the Eternal City as an engraver, producing works...